The Arizona Legislature continued its hearings on wildfires last week.

The hearings were called after a number of residents lost their homes in the Telegraph Fire, which burned near Superior and Globe in June. The legislators have focused on fuels, after-fire assessments, firefighting and other topics.

Forest Service spokesman Tom Torres told the committee that although the state has experienced large fires in recent years there is reason for optimism.

“This is expensive work," Torres said. "And so one of the things that fuels my optimism is the availability of more resources, in terms of money. The other thing that fuels my optimism is the collaborative nature of our agreements with the state of Arizona.”

The state recently began a program to clear out more fuel in the forest.